Category Archives: Sports

Friday’s episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” featured comedians Desus Nice and The Kid Mero , with host Jimmy Fallon asking them about the Winter Games and the Super Bowl. Mero asked, “Where’s Pyeongchang? That’s the good Korea, …

The NHL on Friday night set up Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews with a “bunch of puppies for a photo shoot,” and one “did his business in the middle of the proceedings and all the others walked in it.” Matthews said, “One pooped right by me. I was checking my clothes to make sure I didn&rsq…

An NFL rep said that 51,019 tickets were distributed for yesterday’s Pro Bowl in Orlando, which was “played under heavy rain in the first half and again during the early portion of the fourth quarter.” The NFC won 24-23 ( ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/29 ). NFL Dir of Communications Kamran M…

By By Robert Gray, Correspondent A groundbreaking is scheduled for today on L.A. Coliseum’s $270M makeover, with USC officials, including AD Lynn Swann, and L.A.-area public officials slated to attend. DLR Group’s architectural design will add a new suite and press deck with modern boxes, club…

The Australian Open concluded yesterday and set a total attendance record, with “crowd numbers smashed for the second year in a row at Melbourne Park.” The two-week event drew 743,667 people, “14,904 more than last year.” The “continued expansion of the site — and the hot weather — …

A key member of the group trying to bring the Rays to Tampa said that he is “confident the team has made their choice” for the Ybor City site and “expects an announcement” within 2-3 weeks. Tampa attorney Ron Christaldi said that he and Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan “had d…

By John Ourand Dave Lockton has retired as CEO of WinView, the sports betting start-up company that features an all-star roster of sports business execs as investors. Company VP/Engineering & Operations Eric Vaughn will be the interim President & CEO. Vaughn previously had been COO of EA…

By Ian Thomas The NHL will be testing new advertising positions in and around the ice during All-Star Game events this weekend in order to evaluate the potential value of this inventory for the league, its teams and business partners. The in-ice position will be in each of the four goalie trapezoids in …

The Overwatch League has added T-Mobile and Sour Patch Kids candy as sponsors. T-Mobile signed a multiyear deal to become the league’s official wireless provider and will title sponsor the Overwatch League’s regular season and Finals MVP awards. Sour Patch Kids will provid…

The NFL has “responded to a civil lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct by employees of the NFL Network,” saying that former NFL Net wardrobe stylist Jami Cantor “approved, consented to, authorized, and/or ratified” the behavior through her conduct. NFL Enterprises “denied all of the alle…

LeBron James and Steph Curry during TNT’s NBA pregame show last night discussed their strategies for drafting players for the All-Star Game rosters. Curry joked that Warriors GM Bob Myers “called me this morning asking me what my algorithm was for ranking players.” …

SI.com goes with, ” The NCAA Isn’t The Organization That Should Be Punishing Michigan State .” The attorney general in Michigan “needs to find out who knew what and when, and anyone who enabled” Larry Nassar “needs to be fired, prosecuted and jailed.” But the NCAA “can’t do any …

By Michael Smith Atlanta’s NFL and MLS clubs put the “fan first” in their revolutionary approach to food and beverage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in ’17. The fans responded by voting the Falcons and MLS United No. 1 in each league’s “Voice of the Fan” rankings. Both clubs, …

Golf Channel and the union that reps its cameramen and audio workers have “reached an agreement on a new contract,” 11 days after workers went on strike during the final round of the PGA Tour Sony Open. The two-year deal “puts an end to the labor dispute between the two grou…

The 76ers last night celebrated Australian Heritage Night at Wells Fargo Center against the Bulls, where commemorative white T-shirts were “draped over every single seat of a sold out arena.” There were “miniature Australian flags to wave, Four’N Twenty meat pie eating cont…

By John Ourand Barstool Sports hired Peter Morris from IMAX Corp., where he served as Exec VP/Entertainment, to oversee partnerships, distribution and business affairs for the company. Morris, who will report to CEO Erika Nardini , started his job this week and is based in N.Y. Barstool said Morr…

Foot Locker has made a $15M strategic investment in Carbon38, part of a Series A funding round that “brings the aggregate” raised by Carbon38 to $26M since ’13. The “women’s luxury lifestyle brand has its roots in the active apparel space, and last year entered the ready-to-wear…

Under Armour yesterday unveiled the uniforms for several U.S. teams competing in the Pyeongchang Games, and the “new design” for speedskating comes four years after the uniforms in Sochi were “switched mid-Games because an alleged design …

The Angels yesterday became the latest MLB team to “announce plans to expand the protective netting at their home ballpark” in the “wake of increased awareness of fan safety.” The netting at Angel Stadium “will now extend to the ends of both dugouts.” The team will “announce spe…

Pro Bowl-related events at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex kick off today, and an NFL rep yesterday said that ticket sales are “on par with last year’s game.” The ’17 contest, also held at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, drew an announced crowd of 60,834, the “fifth-largest tur…

With lawmakers reaching a deal to end the government shutdown, the Air Force Academy late last night announced that “all athletic events will resume immediately,” with teams returning to practice in the hours before that announcement. Sources said that Fresno State men’s basketball has “pi…

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel said with the Patriots advancing to the Super Bowl against the Eagles, there is “finally some good news for Boston-area football fans who have been so starved for success.” The broadcast then aired a video of a smiling, waving Bill Belichick, wit…

By Terry Lefton The NBA at its annual meeting of league licensees and teams in Las Vegas yesterday named the Magic Team Retailer of the Year, while naming Forever Collectibles and New Era its licensees of the year. This marks the second time the Orlando team has received the award, having also been recog…

UNLV today breaks ground on the Fertitta Football Training Complex, the school’s upcoming $28M “state-of-the-art facility.” UNLV yesterday announced that Las Vegas Sands will donate $1M toward the “73,000-square-foot, two-level complex,” which is slated to open in early ’19 ( LAS VEGAS SU…

As the NBA trade deadline nears, Fanatics today announced that it will “offer fans a chance to exchange for either the new jersey of their favorite player or to get a different jersey of a player on their team, if the player whose jersey they recently bought gets traded.” If a co…

By Liz Mullen Bud Light has partnered with The Players’ Tribune to create an original video featuring Pro Football HOFer Jerry Rice . Financial details were not disclosed. This marks TPT’s first partnership with the beer brand. In the video, which will debut on TPT’s social channels today, Rice shows u…

By Adam Stern Danica Patrick said that she is looking to unveil her Daytona 500 ride within the next week, and GoDaddy CMO Barb Rechterman said the company is working on signing Patrick to a full PSA deal beyond the two races it will sponsor her. GoDaddy and Patrick on Thursday announced a reunion …

A source said that Facebook is “not bidding” on the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” rights. Facebook “hasn’t shied away from expensive sports rights” in recent years. The source said that its “lack of interest in the NFL Thursday package doesn’t indicate that it’s backing…

Bellator’s World Grand Prix kicks off Saturday at The Forum with an “eclectic collection of eight competitors,” highlighted by Chael Sonnen – Rampage Jackson in Bellator 192 ( USA TODAY, 1/19 ). Jackson-Sonnen is the “opening bout of the eight-fighter tournament that will continue at lat…

By Eric Fisher A group of current and former Fox Sports execs last night attended a closing party for Langan’s, a midtown Manhattan Irish pub that had long been favorite hangout for execs for the network, as well as well as other sports industry and media figures working in the area. Among those th…

By Ben Fischer Toyota Motor North America has signed on as the newest sponsor of Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League, agreeing to become a “North American launch partner” for the first season. It is the carmaker’s first foray into esports, and the league’s first non-endemic sponsor. Terms …

GoDaddy will sponsor Danica Patrick in the “upcoming ‘Danica Double’ that will close out her racing career.” Patrick has “no ride yet for next month’s Daytona 500 or the Indianapolis 500 in May, but she now has the financial backing to pull it off.” The company previously backed Patrick …